St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-04-08
INTERSTATE COMMISSION.
Matters Which Have Been Pre-.
sented for Confederation and De-
oil

Matters Which Have Been PFeo
sented for CONFEDERATION and De-
cisiOn,
WASHINGTON, April 1.-THE following
correspondence fully explains itself:
San Francisco, April 4.-Judge T. NJ.
Cooley, chairman: The question is before us
in competition with the Suez canal route for
can make competing prices through to At
lantic ports at less rates than local rates
charged, say from San Francisco to New
York, the line from China and Japan being Il
continuous one in connection with the Central
Pacific and Union Pacific railways. The Ques-
tion is also before us of making, in competi-
tion with Cape Horn and the Isthmus
of Panama, railroad rate that per-
mits shipments between San Francisco
and Atlantic ports. these rates in order to
meet competition being necessarily
closer for a longer distance than
those charged for shorter, and
far below what would be reasonable rate
for the service performed. We construe the
fourth section of the interstate commerce act
practically to be in substance the application
to interstate commerce of the common law
principle that the shipper avail himself of
competition, and that less rate may be
charged for longer than shorter distance
providing more could not be obtained. 1t the
right of competition is recognized as between
the carrier and the shipper our carrying busi-
ness will not be interrupted, but otherwise
we shall be unable to compete for the Chinese
and japanese trade with the Suez canal and
also unable to compete with water routes by
Panama and Cape Horn for business originat-
ing In California. We wait your construction.
LELAND STANFORD,
President Southern Pacific Railroad.
WANT A VERIFIED PETITION.
WASHINGToN. d. c., April 5.-Leland STAN
ford, San Francisco, CAL: Applications to the
commission for special exception under the
interstate commerce law can only be granted
after investigation into the facts. A verified
petition setting forth the grounds OF applica-
tion should be presented.
Y. NJ. COOLEY, Chairman.
DESIRE SEC. CONSTRUED.
SAN FRANCISCO, April 5.--Judge 7. M.
Cooley, Chairman, Washington, d. c.: We do
not ask for ruling upon a special case but
a construction of Sec. 4, as all the business
between Pacific and Atlantic ports is governed
by competition, and the business from the
ports of China and Japan across the continent
to Atlantic ports is also governed by compe-
titiOn, and agents in China and Japan, to ob-
tain business, make rates to meet the compe-
tition of tine Suez. One of the Oriental & Oc-
cidenta company's ships will arrive in few
days with the cargo, mostly for points east
of the Rocky mountains. If the rates estab-
lished by the other companies are maintained
the contracts made for shipment cannot be
carried out. All the through business to the
cept and dispatch freight except upon gen.
eral ruling applicable to all business. The
question arises upon every ton of freight
offered for shipment. and practically we find
ourselves unable to do through business.
You will see, therefore, that special ruling
or exception will not meet the case, as it
arises upon every ton of freight offered.
LELAND STANFORD.
FORMAL CASE. s.
WASHINGTON, April Iceland Stanford,
San Francisco: The commission were under
no misapprehenslon regarding the facts but
they still hold that if, rather than take the
responsibility of your own construction, you
call for authoritative acton, O case must
be formally presented by petition and be in
vestigated by them.
T. NJ. COOLEY, Chairman.
The commission has to-day promulgated
the following:
The Detroit, Grand Haven & Milwaukee
Railway company, having made application
to the commission for suspension of the
operation of section Of the interstate COM
merce law so far as it would apply to traffic
taken across Lake Michigan to Grand Haven
and destined to points east Of Detroit and st.
Clair rivers, and having assigned as reason
for such suspension that the sa id railway
company owns and operates a line
of boats on Lake Michigan and has been
doing so for many years past and,
by common consent of its competitors, has
wauzee, by way of Grand Haven, on the traf-
fic above mentioned than is charged on the
all rail lines by way of Chicago on the like
traffic, and that the making of such less rate
by said company is just and fair as between
Chicago and Milwaukee, is necessary to en-
able said petitioner to compete with said
lines by way of Chicago, and the said railroad
company having further shown that between
certain points on its line east of Lake Michi-
gan it has been customary to make rates to
such traffic which are greater for shorter
than for long haul, which greater charges
are reasonable and correspond with those
made by competing lines: and the commission
having heard the said application and duly con-
sidered it, and it appearing to the commission
that the case is proper one for temporary
relief
1T Is NOW ORDERED
that for a period of ninety days from this
date the operation of the said fourth section
of the interstate commerce law be suspended
as to the tariff from Milwaukee over the peti-
toners line so far as to permit the charging
OF greater rates for the transportation of
property from Grand Haven and points east
erly thereof to and including Tonia to points
east of the Detroit and ST. Clair rivers than
are charged on the like traffic from Milwau-
kee to points east of the same rivers over the
same line, and also for the transportation of
property to Ionia and Grand Haven and
points between the same from points east of
the Detroit and St. Clair rivers than are
charged ON the like traffic to Milwaukee over
the same line; but subject, nevertheless, to
the restrictions that such charges TO and
from Grand Haven, Ionia and intermediate
points shall not ut any time exceed the for
wardiug rates on the like traffic between the
city of Chicago and the same points east Of
said Detroit and st. Clair rivers, nor greater
in proportion to Milwaukee rates than are
now charged by the petitioners line. And it
is further ordered that this order shall only
take effect on u rule hereof being posted by
said petitioner with its tariff of rates at each
of the stations at which such higher rates
may be chargeable, and the same shall be
kept so posted for general information, and
any party or locality claiming to be agsrieved
by such rates shall be at liberty at any time
to apply by petition for modification or re-